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tribune v january23 1991 p7 outdoors by art briggsjude rare birds a bonus in backyard among the many bonuses derived from feeding wild birds in your backyard is the arrival of a rare or unexpected feathered guest for the novice to the popular winter pastime this unusual bird may be just a newcomer with which he or she is not familiar on the other hand it could be fairly common summer resident such as a brown thrasher that because of an injury or some other unknown rea son has decided to spend the winter here but while these sightings generate plenty of excitement its the appearance of a rare bird that really stirs up a birdwatchers interest and birdwatchers by the way can range from anyone who looks more than once at a sparrow to folks who spend all their leisure time looking list ing and field tripping birds some keen types like those i met in moosonee this past summer appear to take their binoculars to bed with them so that they can get a closer look at the birds in their dreams however trying to define what constitutes a casual birdwatcher is almost as difficult as trying to describe what bird can be classified as a rarity while some species like the endangered whooping crane are continentally listed as rare other birds like the white pelican are rare only in ontario in many instances the category into which they are thrust depends on the frequency that they occur outside their normal range or habitat such a bird rarity for many parts of southern ontario is the redbellied woodpecker similar in size to the common hairy woodpecker this slight- ly trimmer trunkclimber has horizontal zebra stripes covering its entire wings and back the male bird an orangered cap that continues down the back of its neck the female bird has the orangered only on the back oftts head and neck while the cheeks throat and abdomen of both sexes are a soft greyishbrown having seen both sexes of this attractive bird in the past few years with hardly a trace of red on either of their midriffs fm still at a loss for an explanation as to why it was ever named the red- bellied woodpecker in the first place the occurrence of the redbellied woodpecker in ontario is yet another example of a more south- ern bird extending its range northward although a series of mild winter encourages such movement there is no doubt that they have also benefitted from the increasing numbers of bird feeders a rare and local permanent resident in the car- olinian forest area of southern ontario it like the redheaded woodpecker was likely limited to that status by the loss of the oak and beech groves this shrinking food source however was not the only reason for keeping its number confined to the eastern united states redbellied woodpecker the introduction of the european starling drove this beautiful bird along with many of our other native cavity nesters from their traditional nest sites s it now appears that the availability of so many nesting cavities in the dead elm trees a few years ago may have started to reverse this trend redbellied woodpeckers are by and large non- migratory staying in the same general area sum mer and winter the presence of single birds on various christmas bird counts are believed to be individuals pioneering new territories this is certainly not the case in niagara or southwestern ontario where multiple sightings are increasing annually like the cardinal and mock ingbird two other southern species that have pushed northward the redbellied woodpecker is a welcome addition to our local wildlife scene when they do appear for the first time in your yard- the chance of seeing a live bird that for years was just an illustration in a field guide generates some inner excitement it causes some people jo travel long distances face all kinds of weather and all too frequently experience the disappointment of missing it such frustration can only be matched with dis covering a backyard bird thats not listed in your bird book when this happens dont pull out some of your remaining hair like i did go to the library and check on the birds from another country thats the only way we found out that the visit ing rarity to our feeder- was a java temple bird that had escaped from a private aviary great food inviting atmosphere t call to reserve a sweetheart of a dinner on feb 14th and your sweetheart will receive a lovely rose on us 6405070 gala pizzeria italian restaurant 467 main street stouflville ontario an the best prices in town just got up to 50 better reg sale kaufman leather lounge set 348 2524 kaufman 9 piece bedroom suite sz 3646 kaufman oak dining room suite rer84 5999 barrymore tub chairs ea vtqqs ea i o barrymore shell chairs tea 848 kaufman leather sofa 4229 designer imported wall mirror i rom -369- 349 kaufman queen anne sofa back table 932 547 kaufman nest of tables trf822 74700 brass- end tables 942 599 kaufman glass dining table x942 1439 queen drop leaf table wi 636 henry link wicker sofa love seat 4704 2745 kaufman roll 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